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Chapel of St. Ignatius, Seattle University. Photo © Steven Holl Architects.
Interior view, looking up. Photo
rbanks. 
Interior detail. Photo
rbanks.
Interior wall of the chapel. Photo
rbanks.Location map and aerial view of the Chapel of St. Ignatius. For a larger
view see our Seattle Map or get our free Google Earth download.
The Chapel of St. Ignatius is an ultra-modern little chapel on the campus of Seattle University, a Catholic institution.
History
The chapel is named for St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order of Catholic priests. It is the Jesuits that staff and administer the university. The concept of the chapel reflects St. Ignatius' vision of the spiritual life: it is composed of both interior lights and darknesses, which he called "consolations" and "desolations."
The Chapel of St. Ignatius was dedicated on April 6, 1997. Its architect won a design award from the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and a scale model of the chapel has become part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
What to See
Designed by locally-born New York architect Steven Holl, the chapel was conceived as "seven bottles of light in a stone box," with each of those bottles of light reflecting an aspect of Catholic worship.
The "bottles" are basically ways of channeling light into the chapel, and though the exterior seems rather stark and angular, on the inside, soft light in different colors suffuses the rooms. The Chapel of St. Ignatius is something of an exercise in the ways natural light can be used to illuminate a building, and the overall effect is enchanting.
Quick Facts
| Names: | Chapel of St. Ignatius, St. Ignatius Chapel |
| Type of site: | Catholic chapel |
| Date: | 1997 |
| Size: | 6,100 square feet |
| Location: | Seattle University, E. Marion St. and 12th Ave. E, Seattle, WA, USA |
| Phone: | 206/296-6075 |
| Bus: | 12 |
| Hours: | Mon-Thurs 7am-10pm; Fri 7am-7pm; Sat 9am-5pm; Sun 9am-10pm |
| Cost: | Free |
| Facilities: | Good public bathrooms. |
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Article Sources
- Frommer's Seattle
- The Chapel of St. Ignatius: A Gathering of Different Lights – Seattle University
- Seattle University's Chapel of St. Ignatius - HistoryLink
